While the world continues to debate the genius of Jobs and how he applied that gift in delivering life-altering personal technology, Simpson's remembrance of Jobs was succinct, smart and loving without being overwrought or overblown -- especially insight about Jobs as house remodeler.

At Zillow, where houses and people's relationships to houses is of paramount interest, Simpson struck an interesting real estate chord. While she only first met her older brother at age 25 since their mother had put Steve up for adoption at birth, Simpson grew very close to Jobs. Oddly, when it came to Jobs' well-known home on Waverley St. in Palo Alto, Simpson was able to offer an interesting revelation that belied the public image of the billionare Apple founder.

Jobs did not make the kind of dictatorial design demands for his residential remodel as he did for the creation of his Macs, iPods, iPhones and his other sleek inventions.

"They once embarked on a kitchen remodel; it took years. They cooked on a hotplate in the garage. The Pixar building, under construction during the same period, finished in half the time. And that was it for the Palo Alto house. The bathrooms stayed old. But — and this was a crucial distinction — it had been a great house to start with; Steve saw to that,'' said Simpson.

That is really a priceless headline: Steve Jobs Cooks on Hotplate!

Protecting His Assets

The idea that the Jobs' family endured the kinds of remodel mayhem that the average homeowner puts up with was a nice table-turning moment. Can't billionaires pay their way out of contractor delays and hotplate cooking?

Turns out that personal nugget was only the start of a wave of Steve Jobs real estate news to emerge since Jobs died Oct. 5 after a long battle with of pancreatic cancer.